Executive branch: chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet) head of government: Prime Minister Utkur SULTONOV (since December 1995); First Deputy Prime Minister Ismoil JURABEKOV (since NA); First Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture Qobiljon OBIDOV (since NA); Deputy Prime Ministers Viktor CHIZHEN (since NA), Bakhtiyor HAMIDOV (since NA), Kayim HAQQULOV (since NA), Dilbar GHOLOMOVA (since NA), Alisher AZIZKHOJAYEV (since NA), Mirabror USMONOV (since NA), Murat SHARIFKHOJAYEV (since NA), Rustam YUNUSOV (since NA) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000; note - extension of President KARIMOV's term for an additional four years overwhelmingly approved - 99.6% of total vote in favor - by national referendum held 26 March 1995); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Islom KARIMOV elected president; percent of vote - Islom KARIMOV 86%, Mukhammad SOLIKH 12%, other 2%
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis (250 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Democratic Party 207, Fatherland Progress Party 12, other 31; note - final runoffs were held 22 January 1995; seating was as follows: People's Democratic Party 69, Fatherland Progress Party 14, Social Democratic Party 47, local government 120 note: all parties in parliament support President KARIMOV
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly
Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Party or PDP
(formerly Communist Party) [Islom A. KARIMOV, chairman]; Fatherland
Progress Party or FPP [Anwar YULDASHEV, chairman]; Social Democratic
Party [Anvar JORABAYEV, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Birlik (Unity) People's
Movement or BPM [Ibrahim BURIYEV, chairman]; Islamic Rebirth Party or
IRP [Abdullah UTAYEV, chairman]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party was
banned 9 December 1992
note: UTAYEV or IRP is either in prison or in exile
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE,
ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
IOC, ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sodyk SAFAYEV chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804 consulate(s) general : New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley T. ESCUDERO embassy: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent mailing address: use embassy street address telephone : [7] (3712) 77-14-07, 77-10-81, 77-69-86 FAX: [7] (3712) 40-63-35
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a crescent moon and 12 stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant
Economy